Here are my thoughts for making each shot count, with a FILM attitude that has kept me on track to creating fewer, and BETTER digital pictures.

Those of us who recall the days of film and processing, or those who’ve done darkroom printing, will know the look I am talking about. That painterly grittiness, the dark border of the film, highlights glowing from the richly saturated emulsion… it was the PROCESS itself that determined the look we would get, and we used that for creative effects.

Different types of film had their own unique tonalities and beautiful textures of grain that could romanticize away the clutter and distractions of everyday reality. Images were simpler, and easy on the eye. Push processing (underexposing film and leaving it in the developer longer) would even enhance this velvety quality. The first time I was able achieve these effects with a Digital Camera was an incredibly happy moment for me!

In the days of buying rolls of film and paying for processing, each shot was precious. You had 36 frames on a roll and just 36 chances at a time, so we made each one count. Often my best, most carefully nuanced shot was… #36! The dance we did with our subjects, whether a person, or a landscape, was a series of little refinements that we made, shot by shot. When we would have to stop and reload the next roll of 36, the energy would drop, and we would start all over again, in a new way, with a new approach to the next series of shots.

When we started shooting with digital, it was as if we had unlimited free film! Woo-Hoo! right?, However the result was way too many mediocre photos, and after hours of editing, it was difficult to make a definitive decision and pick the best one. So I though back to the days of 35 mm film and this is what I decided. I would honor the 36 chances on an imaginary roll to get it right. Each shot became more precious (as IF I were paying for film and processing again) and this awareness made me slow down and direct my intention more fully, and as a result I became a more thoughtful photographer! Soon I was taking fewer, and better pictures, and editing became easier as well. It was no longer such a chore, and my best shot, like the last frame on the roll of 36, would clearly jump out at me.